The villagers agreed, and the priest headed to the River Seine, where he subdued the dragon in its cave and led it back to the town to be burned at the stake. The priest Romanus struck a deal with the villagers of Rouen, promising to take care of the dragon called La Gargouille if they agreed to be baptized Boden Gargoyle Sentineland to build a church. Perhaps the most interesting story, however, involves a priest and a dragon: Some say they were meant to ward off the devil, while others believe they were meant to remind parishioners of the perils of evil. It has been said that no two gargoyles are alike, but no one seems to have a definitive reason why. Today the legends and mystery surrounding the actual reason behind covering downspouts with elaborate figures are just as varied as the individual creatures themselves.

They later became strictly ornamental and assumed many forms. Gargoyle are found on an architectural structure, originally designed (believe it or not) to serve as a spout to throw rainwater clear of a building.

13th-century France is the earliest known existance of these grotesquely carved human/animal figures.

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